There were plenty of positives for the New Zealand Black Sox softball team after coming through a difficult qualifying tournament to seal their place in the 2025 WBSC Softball World Cup Finals.
The team are on their way back to New Zealand and already plans are being made to continue their progress.
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Head coach Thomas Makea was thrilled with the performance of the Black Sox, particularly on a difficult last day at Prince Albert, Canada, the same venue for the World Cup.
“There were two tough games there, two tough battles against two great teams so to stay in the fight right to the last inning, last out, amazing for these guys. In the end we got the qualifying place we wanted," said Makea, after they had a 6-5loss to Argentina and a 4-1 win over hosts Canada.
“Even with the weather delays Argentina was a very tough side, very good pitching, very good hitting.
"We knew as a group that we could hang with those guys, but you know, at the end of the day that’s why they’re world number one. They came out on top and got the one that mattered.”
Makea praised pitcher Pita Rona for his effort against Canada in the repechage game.
“Pita once again was amazing, I don’t actually think he was supposed to go the whole seven innings but he pitched a good four or five (innings) against Canada the other night and came out and just kept getting better and better."
If Canada had won, there was no guarantee that New Zealand, ranked 10th in the world, would have been granted one of two wild card spots.
Makea said that having secured their spot at Prince Albert next year will have big ramifications for the sport in New Zealand.
“It’s massive for our home fans. We’ve come a long way since 2022, where we didn’t finish that well, but this group of guys here that we’ve brought together have restored a bit of mana in the jersey. I’m looking forward to the next 12 months in terms of planning and see where we land.”
And while the pitching of Rona was significant, the big hitting was also there to see as well. Te Wera Bishop and captain Cole Evans both equal topped the home run count.
Softball NZ CEO Jason Merrett said the Black Sox qualifying was a fresh boost for the sport.
"Thomas and the management team did a fantastic job preparing the team for this qualifying tournament.
"We're proud of how they qualified in such a cutthroat environment, especially on such a long final day with weather interruptions and a late-night finish. They showed great resilience and skill, and we can't wait to support them as they prepare to fight for the title at the World Cup in 2025."
Softball NZ's general manager of high performance Bevan Matene was already working with Black Sox management to finalise preparations leading to the World Cup.